iPhone bluetooth connection problems

[davidwellens]

Hi everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster, as they say. I decided to make an account because a lot of threads have helped me a great deal, or at the very least pointed me in the right direction. Now I can give back to the community, but I also have a question of my own

One of my colleagues is having bluetooth problems on his iPhone and I hit a wall trying to find the cause.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

• It didn't work on iOS 9.3.2
• We then updated to iOS9.3.3 and it still doesn't work.
• His laptop is running 10.11.4
• Setting up Personal Hotspot on the iPhone and then connecting to it via laptop Wi-Fi doesn't work.
• Standard "can't connect" error message and suggestion to use Wi-Fi diagnostics (also doesn't help).
• Going to Bluetooth prefs on OSX and connecting there also doesn't work.
• Pairing doesn't work, but we CAN see the iPhone. The Wi-Fi scanner also picks up the iPhone.
• If we hook up the iPhone via cable and then set up a Personal Hotspot, it does work.
• Surfing the web, everything works. Disconnect the cable and it stops again.
• I'm successful in pairing my own iPhone to the laptop so it seems related to the other iPhone.
• We removed the Bluetooth prefs from OSX > no change.
• We reset the network settings on iOS > no change.

I'm not very familiar with the inner workings of an iPhone but I'm assuming working via tethering is a direct route via the cable and therefore a different connection method than over-the-air bluetooth signal?

Any ideas?

Cheers,
David